Spinal cord injury in Fort Worth: where to get care and what a claim must cover
Fort Worth has two Level I trauma centers: JPS and Texas Health Harris Methodist. A claim for paralysis is about decades of cost, not just the hospital stay. Texas generally gives you 2 years to sue, and only 6 months to notify a government.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (33)
Where does a spinal cord injury get treated in Fort Worth?
At a Level I trauma center. JPS Health Network is the Tarrant County Hospital District, and it is a Level I center. Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth is the other one. It was also the first U.S. facility to earn Joint Commission neurotrauma certification.
If you are at the scene, do not move a person who may have a neck or back injury. Care at the scene means a rigid collar and backboard. Tell the responding crew about any numbness or loss of feeling right away.
What rehab is available after a spinal cord injury near Fort Worth?
A rehab team is usually led by a physical medicine doctor. Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation lists a Day Neuro location at 6601 Harris Pkwy, 817-738-9866.
The state runs a Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services program. A person must be at least 15, and people who call are placed on an interest list. Ask early. The list means waiting, so call while you wait for other care.
What costs does a Fort Worth spinal cord injury claim have to cover?
| Cost | What the research shows | Why it matters in a claim |
|---|---|---|
| Lost work | In national data, 18 percent of people are employed one year after injury. | Lost earning capacity is often the largest part. |
| Indirect costs | About $97,787 a year in 2025 dollars. | Ask for a life care plan, not a hospital bill. |
| Return hospital stays | About 29 percent are re-hospitalized each year. | Future care has to be priced in. |
For medical bills, Texas limits recovery to the amounts paid or owed, and lost earning capacity is shown after income tax.
How long do I have to file a spinal cord injury claim in Texas?
Two years to sue, in general. A child's time as a minor does not count toward that clock. If you cannot decide for yourself, Tarrant County Probate Court No. 1 hears guardianship cases.
Anyone suing over a crash must also face the fault rule. If a jury puts you above 50 percent at fault, a crash claim recovers nothing.
What if a city vehicle or Trinity Metro bus caused my injury?
For a city vehicle crash, Texas waives immunity for motor vehicle use. The notice is due in six months unless a city charter sets its own period, and Fort Worth's charter asks for written notice in 180 days.
City claims have a cap of $250,000 per person. Write to Risk Management at 200 Texas Street, or email [email protected].
Who pays the hospital while my Fort Worth case is open?
A Texas hospital lien needs admission within 72 hours of the accident. Medicare gets its payments back out of a settlement. Ask early for the trauma center chart and imaging: JPS accepts requests through MyChart or by fax at 817-702-5700.
Questions
Can a spinal cord injury get worse after the crash?
Yes. Secondary damage can develop over time, so repeat scans and follow-up visits matter.
How many Fort Worth crashes cause serious injuries?
TxDOT counted 562 seriously injured people in Fort Worth crashes in 2025.
Does a claim end if I go back to work?
No. Return to work can still leave lost earning capacity, which must be shown after tax.
Spinal cord injury or paralysis in Fort Worth? See if you are owed money.
A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.
See if I’m owed moneySources (33)
- Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “JOHN PETER SMITH HOSPITAL 11/1/2028 E FORT WORTH 76104”
- Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “TEXAS HEALTH HARRIS METHODIST HOSPITAL FORT WORTH 1/1/2029 E FORT WORTH 76104”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
- NINDS, checked 2026-11-09. “Motor vehicle accidents and serious falls are the most common causes of SCI in the U.S.”
- NINDS, checked 2026-11-09. “A doctor specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation usually leads the rehabilitation team.”
- CMS, checked 2026-11-09. “because it must be repaid to Medicare when a beneficiary receives a settlement, judgment, award, or other payment”
- JPS Health Network, About JPS, checked 2026-11-09. “The Tarrant County Hospital District, known as JPS Health Network”
- Texas Health Resources, news release, March 29, 2022, checked 2026-11-09. “is the first facility in the U.S. to earn The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Neurotrauma Certification”
- NINDS, checked 2026-11-09. “emergency personnel will place a rigid collar around the neck and carefully place the person on a backboard”
- Baylor Scott & White, Rehabilitation Locations, checked 2026-11-09. “Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation - Fort Worth Day Neuro”
- Texas HHS, Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services, checked 2026-11-09. “Be at least 15 years of age.”
- Texas HHS, Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services, checked 2026-11-09. “When you call CRS, you are added to the interest list.”
- National SCI Statistical Center, checked 2026-11-09. “Since 2015, 18% of persons with tSCI are employed at year 1”
- National SCI Statistical Center, checked 2026-11-09. “indirect costs averaged $97,787 per year in 2025 dollars”
- National SCI Statistical Center, checked 2026-11-09. “Since 2015, about 29% of persons with tSCI are re-hospitalized at”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.0105, checked 2026-11-09. “recovery of medical or health care expenses incurred is limited to the amount actually paid or incurred by or on behalf of the claimant”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 18.091, checked 2026-11-09. “must be presented in the form of a net loss after reduction for income tax payments or unpaid tax liability”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-09. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-08. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”
- Tarrant County Probate Court No. 1, checked 2026-11-09. “The creation of guardianships for incapacitated persons, including minors”
- Tarrant County Probate Courts, About Guardianship, checked 2026-11-09. “a person may be appointed to make medical, placement and/or financial decisions for an incapacitated person”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-09. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.021, checked 2026-11-09. “arises from the operation or use of a motor-driven vehicle or motor-driven equipment”
- Fort Worth City Charter, Chapter XXVII, Section 25, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty (180) days after the same has been sustained, unless good cause is shown”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.023, checked 2026-11-09. “Liability of a municipality under this chapter is limited to money damages in a maximum amount of $250,000 for each person”
- City of Fort Worth, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “HR/Risk Management 200 Texas Street Fort Worth, Texas 76102”
- City of Fort Worth, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “[email protected]”
- Tex. Prop. Code § 55.002, checked 2026-11-09. “For the lien to attach, the individual must be admitted to a hospital not later than 72 hours after the accident.”
- JPS Health Network, Patient Records, checked 2026-11-08. “You can fax a written request to 817-702-5700.”
- NINDS, checked 2026-11-09. “develop over time from bleeding and swelling in the spinal cord and cell death (secondary damage)”
- TxDOT, 2025 Crashes and Injuries Cities and Towns, checked 2026-11-08. “FORT WORTH 109 112 475 562 2,665 3,568 2,296 3,616 9,533 32,368 602 2,351 15,680”